Joe Root joins Old Trafford 200 club

MANCHESTER: England’s Joe Root became just the sixth batsman in 132 years to score a Test double century at Old Trafford as he made 254 against Pakistan on Saturday.

He was just the second England cricketer to do so after Ken Barrington in 1964 and the first player from any country since South Africa’s Gary Kirsten in 1998.

After more than 10 hours’ batting, Root was eventually out when he skyed paceman Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Hafeez, running in from square leg, held a good catch to leave England 577 for seven on the second day of the second Test.

The highest individual score in an Old Trafford remains Bob Simpson’s 311 for Australia against England in 1964, with the corresponding England record at the Manchester ground achieved in the same match when Barrington made 256.